The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Over two million people (about 1-3% of the population) suffer from epileptic seizures in the United States. During a seizure the patient is unable to get help, talk, think, or act. In many cases it is very important for doctors and caregivers to be able to detect seizures and give the patient immediate help. There are some types of seizures, if not attended to, that can be fatal. Currently there are no home or personal seizure monitoring or detecting devices. There are Electroencephalography (EEG) machines, which measure electrical activity in the brain. However, EEGs are for hospital use and are large and expensive. The EEGs may analyze brainwaves to detect the onset or the occurrence of a seizure. EEGs require probes to be mounted on the patients' scalp to sense, extract, and transmit data. The probes are uncomfortable, intrusive, and awkward—restricting patients' movements and causing scarring. In addition, the graphs from the EEGs need to be reviewed and interpreted manually by trained personnel, such as nurses and medical assistants.